Services:

Texas C-BAR was established to provide free legal resources and business law services to organizations throughout the state of Texas working to improve the quality of life in low-income communities. We provide three primary services for these organizations:

A Pro Bono Legal Referral Program where we match eligible nonprofits with qualified attorneys that will handle transactional and corporate legal matters on a pro bono basis.

An extensive online Legal Resource Library that is maintained to provide access to the most commonly used forms, materials, and other legal documents related to nonprofits and community development law and so that those starting or running a nonprofit can educate themselves on legal compliance and nonprofit governance matters.

Legal education workshops and trainings.

As part of our Pro Bono Legal Referral Program, we recruit experienced transactional and corporate attorneys throughout the state of Texas who volunteer to help eligible organizations with their business, transactional, corporate, real estate, tax, and employment law needs. The types of assistance provided by these volunteer attorneys include assistance with:

Incorporating new entities

Reviewing and drafting bylaws

Obtaining IRS tax exempt status

Drafting and negotiating contracts

Drafting personnel policy manuals

Drafting employee and subcontractor agreements

Establishing subsidiary corporations

Establishing joint ventures

Preparing limited partnership agreements

Clearing title to parcels of land

Preparing real estate documents

Reviewing leases

Reviewing loan documents

Reviewing construction documents

Providing advice on corporate governance matters

Providing advice on nonprofit tax matters

Providing advice on property tax exemptions

Providing advice on employment law issues

Providing advice on trademark and copyright issues

To participate in the Pro Bono Legal Referral Program, nonprofits must meet our Eligibility Requirements and fill out an Application for Pro Bono Legal Services. We will notify you when we receive your application. First, it will be reviewed to ensure your organization is eligible for our services and appropriate for our Pro Bono Legal Referral Program. If your group is accepted, and you have provided us with all the information we need, we will then attempt to match your request for legal assistance with an attorney with the appropriate expertise. The referral process can take from two to four weeks (or longer) depending on the legal issues involved. If your application is only for a legal question or is only to request a legal consultation, then the response time may be shorter.

Referrals and the services provided by our pro bono attorneys are free of charge, however, all applicants must be aware that there may be external costs charged by governmental agencies, such as filing fees and closing costs, which are the responsibility of the community-based organization.

Priority is given to organizations whose focus, or a primary initiative, is to:

improve the quality of life for low-income or underserved populations,

enhance economic stability in low-income communities, or

provide services that impact low-income or underserved persons.

If an organization is referred to one of our volunteer attorneys through the Pro Bono Legal Referral Program, the Texas C-BAR staff serves as an ongoing resource throughout the representation.